Becoming a Vendor

The Lawrence Farmers’ Market is a producer only market, which means vendors selling products that they did not grow, raise, cook, or craft themselves will not be accepted. LFM is in addition, a market primarily focused on agricultural products. These priorities ensure that our customers can trust that products found at market are of a high quality and produced by the person they are buying from, a quality that sets us apart.

Only vendors in the following categories are permitted to join the Lawrence Farmers Market. Pre-existing, non-agricultural full-time retail businesses are not eligible to participate in the market. A vendor may sell items produced by family or neighbors in addition to their own if these producers and products are listed on the application form or are approved in advance by the Market Manager in consultation with the LFM Board.

So you’ve decided you want to become a part of the Lawrence Farmers’ Market community; now how do you go about becoming a vendor? Luckily the process of submitting your application itself is pretty easy! Just find your product category below and follow the steps!

If selling your product by weight, you must use a scale certified by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Scale certifications can be done at Vendor Workshops hosted by KDA or may be certified by a licensed service company. More information is available from the KDA Weights and Measures website or by calling 785-564-6700. Occasional group certification opportunities are available, contact the Market Manager for more information.

For fruit and vegetable sales, no additional licenses or certification is needed.

For live plant sales, you will have to obtain a Live Plant Dealer’s License. If your total plant sales are less than $10,000, you will not have to pay the $50 license fee. More information available on KDA’s Live Plant Dealer page.

All vendors must obtain a Kansas Retail Sales Tax number before being accepted into the market. A new vendor must submit a copy of the certificate with application. More information and FAQs can be found on Kansas Department of Revenue’s Special Events, Craft Shows, Trade Shows page.

Applications can be submitted to lawrencefarmersmarket@gmail.com; or mailed to PO Box 44‐2151 Lawrence KS 66044. Payment should be sent to LFM at the same time as your application. If for some reason this is not possible, contact the Market Manager.

The Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of every month and reviews applications at this time. All applicants will be contacted by email with the Board’s decision within 48 hours of the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns about your application or the Board review process, contact the Market Manager.

As a new member of the Lawrence Farmers’ Market, the Market Manager visits your operation. We will get to know your farm and products, familiarize you with market day procedures, programs, and policies.

If selling your product by weight, you must use a scale certified by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Scale certifications can be done at Vendor Workshops hosted by KDA or may be certified by a licensed service company. More information is available from the KDA Weights and Measures website or by calling 785-564-6700. Occasional group certification opportunities are available, contact the Market Manager for more information.

For wholesale meat sales, you will need a Wholesale Meat Dealer license. More information about this license and the procedure to obtain one can be found at KDA’s Registration page.

All vendors must obtain a Kansas Retail Sales Tax number before being accepted into the market. A new vendor must submit a copy of the certificate with application. More information and FAQs can be found on Kansas Department of Revenue’s Special Events, Craft Shows, Trade Shows page.

Applications can be submitted to lawrencefarmersmarket@gmail.com; or mailed to PO Box 44‐2151 Lawrence KS 66044. Payment should be sent to LFM at the same time as your application. If for some reason this is not possible, contact the Market Manager.

The Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of every month and reviews applications at this time. All applicants will be contacted by email with the Board’s decision within 48 hours of the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns about your application or the Board review process, contact the Market Manager.

As a new member of the Lawrence Farmers’ Market, the Market Manager visits your operation. We will get to know your farm and products, familiarize you with market day procedures, programs, and policies.

In our guidelines, vendors who sell jams, jellies, sauces, salsas, baked goods, cheeses, and meat products are considered “Processors”. KDA puts out a helpful booklet every year called “Food Safety for Kansas Farmers Market Vendors: Regulations and Best Practices”. You can find all the information listed here, and more best practices in the guidebook. A PDF can be found here from the From the Land of Kansas Farmers Market Resource Page.

If your product requires a Food Establishment license or Food Processor license, a copy of the certificate must be sent to the Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board before you begin selling at market.

All packaged food products must include the following on the label:

Common name of product (e.g. apple pie)

Name and physical address of the person that made or is selling the product.

Product ingredients in descending order of predominance. This is particularly important for customers that have food allergies.

Quantity (net weight, volume, or count, depending on product).

Home canned fruit jams and jellies (excluding reduced or no sugar jams/jellies): No license required.

Pepper jams and jellies: Must submit a sample of your product to KDA for a “Product Water Activity” test before it can be sold at Market. After the test is conducted you will be notified by KDA about which category the product falls under and if licensing is required or not.

Low sugar fruit jams and jellies: Must submit a sample of your product to KDA for a “pH and/or Water Activity” test and product formulation before being sold at Market.

Salsa, barbeque sauce, and similar foods (canned and shelf stable): You must submit a sample of your product to KDA for a pH test and product formulation. Depending on the pH of the final product and the main product ingredients, the product may be exempt from licensing or may be considered an acidified canned food that requires a license.

Refrigerated processed foods (ex fresh salsas, pickles, pestos, garlic in oil mixtures, etc): Producer must have appropriate KDA Food License (most likely a Food Establishment License). Product must be labeled as listed at the top of this tab.

All vendors must obtain a Kansas Retail Sales Tax number before being accepted into the market. A new vendor must submit a copy of the certificate with application. More information and FAQs can be found on Kansas Department of Revenue’s Special Events, Craft Shows, Trade Shows page.

Applications can be submitted to lawrencefarmersmarket@gmail.com; or mailed to PO Box 44‐2151 Lawrence KS 66044. Payment should be sent to LFM at the same time as your application. If for some reason this is not possible, contact the Market Manager.

The Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of every month and reviews applications at this time. All applicants will be contacted by email with the Board’s decision within 48 hours of the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns about your application or the Board review process, contact the Market Manager.

As a new member of the Lawrence Farmers’ Market, the Market Manager visits your operation. We will get to know your farm and products, familiarize you with market day procedures, programs, and policies.

In our guidelines, vendors who sell jams, jellies, sauces, salsas, baked goods, cheeses, and meat products are considered “Processors”. KDA puts out a helpful booklet every year called “Food Safety for Kansas Farmers Market Vendors: Regulations and Best Practices”. You can find all the information listed here, and more best practices in the guidebook. A PDF can be found here from the From the Land of Kansas Farmers Market Resource Page.

Home baked potentially hazardous foods (includes cream or meringue pies, custards, cheesecakes, cream-filled cupcakes or donuts, cream cheese-based frostings or fillings, etc.). Potentially hazardous foods are foods that require temperature control for safety. See below for full list of which products require licenses.

If your product requires a Food Establishment license or Food Processor license, a copy of the certificate must be sent to the Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board before you begin selling at market.

All packaged food products must include the following on the label:

Common name of product (e.g. apple pie)

Name and physical address of the person that made or is selling the product.

Product ingredients in descending order of predominance. This is particularly important for customers that have food allergies.

Candies made in a home kitchen (cinnamon hard candy; caramels, toffee): No licensing required but must comply with labelling rules listed above. Note: Homemade chocolates must be tested by KDA to determine whether a license is needed.

Homemade dried pasta: No licensing required if dried in a protected environment in a short time period. Must comply with labelling rules above.

All vendors must obtain a Kansas Retail Sales Tax number before being accepted into the market. A new vendor must submit a copy of the certificate with application. More information and FAQs can be found on Kansas Department of Revenue’s Special Events, Craft Shows, Trade Shows page.

Applications can be submitted to lawrencefarmersmarket@gmail.com; or mailed to PO Box 44‐2151 Lawrence KS 66044. Payment should be sent to LFM at the same time as your application. If for some reason this is not possible, contact the Market Manager.

The Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of every month and reviews applications at this time. All applicants will be contacted by email with the Board’s decision within 48 hours of the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns about your application or the Board review process, contact the Market Manager.

As a new member of the Lawrence Farmers’ Market, the Market Manager visits your operation. We will get to know your farm and products, familiarize you with market day procedures, programs, and policies.

Value Added Crafts

Are you located within 50 miles of Lawrence and in the state of Kansas?

Do you create the product yourself?

Do you source as much of your ingredients from Kansas as possible, if not mostly from local sources?

If the answers to all questions are “Yes” then congratulations you are one step closer to becoming a vendor!

IMPORTANT NOTE ON VALUE ADDED CRAFTS: The market focuses on agriculturally based crafts. For example, if a knitted scarf were to be approved most likely the vendor raises sheep, spins the roving into yarn and then knits the item. Another example is lotions/creams/beauty products: we are more likely to accept beauty products made with ingredients that you have grown or raised yourself (goat milk lotion, emu oil & lotion) than with ingredients bought at a store or online. To assess your craft’s eligibility contact the Market Manager and submit your application with photos or samples. April and November in the market are open season for crafts, so provided the vendor makes the craft it can be sold in those months.

In our guidelines, vendors who sell jams, jellies, sauces, salsas, baked goods, cheeses, and meat products are considered “Processors”. KDA puts out a helpful booklet every year called “Food Safety for Kansas Farmers Market Vendors: Regulations and Best Practices”. You can find all the information listed here, and more best practices in the guidebook. A PDF can be found here from the From the Land of Kansas Farmers Market Resource Page.

Home baked potentially hazardous foods (includes cream or meringue pies, custards, cheesecakes, cream-filled cupcakes or donuts, cream cheese-based frostings or fillings, etc.). Potentially hazardous foods are foods that require temperature control for safety. See below for full list of which products require licenses.

If your product requires a Food Establishment license or Food Processor license, a copy of the certificate must be sent to the Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board before you begin selling at market.

All packaged food products must include the following on the label:

Common name of product (e.g. apple pie)

Name and physical address of the person that made or is selling the product.

Product ingredients in descending order of predominance. This is particularly important for customers that have food allergies.

Candies made in a home kitchen (cinnamon hard candy; caramels, toffee): No licensing required but must comply with labelling rules listed above. Note: Homemade chocolates must be tested by KDA to determine whether a license is needed.

Homemade dried pasta: No licensing required if dried in a protected environment in a short time period. Must comply with labelling rules above.

All vendors must obtain a Kansas Retail Sales Tax number before being accepted into the market. A new vendor must submit a copy of the certificate with application. More information and FAQs can be found on Kansas Department of Revenue’s Special Events, Craft Shows, Trade Shows page.

Applications can be submitted to lawrencefarmersmarket@gmail.com; or mailed to PO Box 44‐2151 Lawrence KS 66044. Payment should be sent to LFM at the same time as your application. If for some reason this is not possible, contact the Market Manager.

The Lawrence Farmers’ Market Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of every month and reviews applications at this time. All applicants will be contacted by email with the Board’s decision within 48 hours of the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns about your application or the Board review process, contact the Market Manager.

As a new member of the Lawrence Farmers’ Market, the Market Manager visits your operation. We will get to know your farm and products, familiarize you with market day procedures, programs, and policies.